Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,447 per month in Mexico City vs $1,331 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,310 per month in Mexico City vs $1,866 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,174 per month in Mexico City vs $2,402 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 9% more than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 8% above the global median, while Hillcrest is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$7.60 R 123

70.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$27.98 R 452

88.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.98 R 80.5

89.36%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.90 R 30.80

87.89%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.87 R 14.02

85.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.67 R 10.91

71.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.95 R 31.52

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.30 R 37.26

111.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.86 R 13.94

97.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.58 R 9.31

355.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.16 R 18.83

63.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.20 R 35.63

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.20 R 116

40.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.87 R 62.6

114.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.31 R 102

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.40 R 22.59

116.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.14 R 18.48

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.37 R 22.22

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.31 R 21.25

57.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.28 R 20.68

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.23 R 19.93

76.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.02 R 16.51

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.80 R 12.99

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.73 R 44.14

57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.81 R 77.8

220.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.45 R 23.44

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.69 R 27.31

118.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.68 R 27.13

-77.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.72 R 27.82

-19.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.61 R 9.91

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.55 R 106

-17.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.28 R 20.64

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$20.0K R 323.5K

-5.14%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$24.1K R 390.4K

-2.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$41.02 MX$704

$143 R 2,305

-71.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.92 MX$462

$28.87 R 467

-6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$34.08 R 551

-12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.93 R 500

69.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.60 R 107

-6.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$427 MX$7,331

$206 R 3,323

107.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,576 R 74.0K

133.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$42.77 R 691

32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$30.52 R 493

46.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$95.4 R 1,542

9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$74.1 R 1,198

43.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$365 R 5,900

172.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$681 R 11.0K

-8.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$690 R 11.2K

208.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$1,142 R 18.5K

9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$969 R 15.7K

302.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$674 R 10.9K

210.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.01

-5.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Mexico City versus $365 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $154 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City, $1,331 in Hillcrest – roughly 9% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,171 per month in Mexico City and $1,996 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $28.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,331, than in Mexico City at $1,447. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,331 in Hillcrest to $1,447 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.